Who's who in the art and framing market

Art Business News, May, 2003 by Tricia Bisoux

Whether a room is restful with calm seascapes or vivid with abstracts, its atmosphere is definitely influenced by the custom-framed art and distinctive sculpture it contains. Before artwork finds a home in a commercial or residential space, however, it travels through an intricate network of resources available in the art and custom picture framing market.

Artists. Artists work in a variety of media ranging from oils and watercolors to prints and photographs to sculpture and mixed media. Some artists sell their work directly to the consumer, via self-established galleries, personal Web sites or regional art shows. Most often, however, they reach the public via ...

Retail galleries. Retail galleries serve as the public's primary gateway to the art market. Some galleries show an eclectic range of artists; others specialize in a single artist, style, medium or region. Galleries that show primarily unique works interact directly with the artist community. Many galleries also sell art prints and reproductions, which are often are purchased wholesale from ...

Art publishers. Although unique artworks have a "one-of-a-kind" cachet, they aren't financially feasible for many art consumers. Art publishers serve the broader market, selecting artists for their lines the same way book publishers select authors. Once publishers find artists whose original works they believe will have broad appeal, they work with artists to use manual or mechanical printing processes to reproduce their works.

Poster publishers provide affordable, mass-produced images for art buyers on a budget. Poster publishers generally do not limit a print run but rather make as many prints of an image as the market demands.

Limited-edition publishers cater to mid-range art buyers, marketing signed-and-numbered, limited-edition reproductions made via mechanical means. Many limited-edition publishers use a four-color printing process called offset lithography or a silkscreen process called serigraphy; advances in technology have also led to the digital creation of limited-edition images using computers and high-resolution ink-jet printers to make digital prints (often called giclees). Their price points often depend on the size of the editions and the reputation of the artist.

Fine art publishers serve the high end of the print market, marketing original prints that serve as a bridge between limited-edition reproductions and unique pieces. Such prints are made by the artist in small, limited editions via time-consuming, hands-on processes such as etching, stone lithography and serigraphy. An original print is "original" because the artist creates each print individually--no two are exactly alike. Some artists add additional hand-embellishments.

Whether they buy original prints, limited-edition reproductions or posters, art buyers most often want to display their purchases to best effect by taking them to ...

Picture framers. Picture framers specialize in the presentation and preservation of artwork. They design framing packages that enhance individual artworks and choose archival materials whenever appropriate to ensure the longevity of the art. In many cases, retail framing shops operate within art galleries or vice versa. Picture framers also work for art galleries, museums and art publishers.

Custom picture framers, as the name implies, generally do not work with standard-size frames. Instead, they create custom frame displays for artwork of any size, from postage stamps to wall-sized paintings. In addition, custom picture framers can create flame displays for memorabilia and objects as diverse as wedding dresses, sports equipment and even musical instruments.

Wholesale picture framers serve commercial clients who require framing in volume, such as hotels, hospitals or cruise lines. Wholesale framers generally do not create one-of-a-kind framing designs, but may frame 100 or 1,000 reproductions of an image identically. Because of economies of scale, wholesale framers usually offer a lower per-unit price point than custom picture framers.

Ready-made frame and photo frame manufacturers construct large volumes of standard-sized frames (8 by 10 inches, 16 by 20 inches, etc.), oval or circular frames or functional frames (for flags or fans, for instance) that are sold to home stores, artists, photography studios, mass merchants or custom picture framers who want to offer customers a ready-to-go alternative.

OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) or framed picture manufacturers serve one of the largest parts of the market. In the art and framing industry, the term "OEM" refers to companies that duplicate a single frame design for an art print specifically for mass-market consumption. OEMs sell their pre-framed artworks to big-box department store chains, home decor chains, catalog houses, furniture stores and gift stores.

To pursue their craft, all picture framers require a wide range of materials, which they purchase from ...

Framing Suppliers. The picture framing industry is supported by hundreds of companies that supply moulding, matboard, glass, foamboard, backing papers, mounting adhesives, tapes, hanging hardware--anything required to create a picture frame. In addition, companies in the framing market supply specialty computer software packages, as well as a variety of framing equipment, such as saws, glass cutters, matcutters, moulding choppers, mitering machines and mounting machines.